


Dying Embers

by CuttlefishMistress



Category: Super Paper Mario (Game)
Genre: Character Analysis, Gen, Headcanon, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:11:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6080634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuttlefishMistress/pseuds/CuttlefishMistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why was it that he always thought about the strangest things before bed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dying Embers

**Author's Note:**

> Some old headcanony stuff I forgot about on my laptop... Might flesh this out into a full story... Maybe...

A soft throaty chuckle echoed across the room. Gentle evening light filtered in through the window bathing the walls a rusty orange. There was a single occupant in the room, a lone figure sitting in a chair by the fire. He was talking aloud to himself, his legs crossed and fingers arched so only the tips touched.

“O’Chucks is such a fool.  All that blabbering and still not a single significant word uttered today.” He laughed. “How he goes on and on about “chucking” any poor fellow who might stagger his way. HA! I’ve watched him in battle, be can barely chuck himself off his lumbering rear.”

Dust danced across the beams of evening light as Dimentio readjusted himself in his chair. He smiled at the full length mirror set beside the fireplace, the reflection gazing back with the same hollow eyes.

“And Mimi’s ever such a delight. Oh that red angry face makes my bones tingle.”

His lips lifted into an impish smile, enjoying the memory of Mimi’s bewildered face, red cheeked and eyes stretching wide.

“She’s barely an inch above that O’Chucks in terms of cleverness! Oh it’s ever so amusing to snatch away her little book of secrets from its newest hiding place. Such a shame the contents are so shallow though.”

He giggled into his hand, trying to remain collected. However the thoughts of his comrades’ distressed expressions caused him to burst into a fit of laughter. The reflection only looked on with disinterest, leaning back into the chair, waiting for their companion to finish.

“Umm-hm.” They mumbled.

Dimentio’s laugher ceased immediately. He turned, looking the reflection in the face.

“Oh do these blundering fool bore you? Well, they are indeed utterly insignificant, but at the very least their shenanigans keeps me entertained. Oh did I mention Nastisa? She’s is such a hoot! Ah, how she looks at the Count with those longing adoring eyes, it so hurts not to laugh every time we’re in the same room! It’s utterly pathetic!”

He broke out into another fit of laughter, wrapping his arms around his waist and stomping his feet on the floor, he could barely keep still in his chair. The reflection sighed, running a hand through their hair.

“Why the long face? Should I entertain you with tales of the dastardly pitiful Count next?”

The reflection stood up from their chair and walked passed him. Filtering out of the mirror they made their way to the window. Pass the darken glass the orange sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon.

“You’re very talkative today.” he remarked sarcastically and sighed, leaning his face onto the palm of his hand.

The figure by the window did not say anything. Their eyes were locked on the horizon, back turned to him.

Dimentio blew a loose strand of hair out of his face, his once cheery expression turned sour.

“The Count is as adorably clueless as ever. His pathetic brain is so caught up in anguish he can’t even tell when he is monologing to himself or to my shadow. I could stand right next to him and he’d probably spill out all his secrets to me, it’s that utterly...” he tried to pick up the conversation, but the figure remained silent, choosing to simply stare out the window at the view of a burning twilight. 

He huffed angrily and stood up from his chair marching over to them.

“You know it’s very rude to ignore your hos-”

“Remember what you told me?” the figure finally spoke up.

“I told you a great many things, please be kind and pick a specific subject.” A smiled found its way onto his face one more. Please to finally have his companion recuperate the conversation.

“About the world you wanted.” The figure’s face began to turn softer than his, it held fewer grimaces.

The two stood side by side now, casting long dark shadows across the room. The orange light blurred their edges, seeming to try and wash them out of existence.

“Ah! Yes, yes. A wonderful world filled with magic and endless possibilities.” he sighed happily.

“Was it me or you who originally wished for that?”

“It was definitely me. I remember when I first told you, you laughed at me. I got rather frustrated and punched you.” He let out a soft chuckle, “You grabbed me by the ankles and held me upside-down till I begged you to let me go.” he smiled fondly at the memory.

The figure beside him giggled softly, their features slowly changing ever more.

“Oh yes, how could I forget? When I let you down you said that you would become the most powerful magician there ever was and rule over that new wonderful world. You even said you would get rid of all the “icky” stuff.” Their eyes glanced over to their more solid companion.

“Ha-ha and look at me now! On my way to being an all-powerful ruler! Isn’t it wonderful! Dreams are such fun things to chase after!” a smiled stretched across his face but it did not reach his eyes.

“What a nice dream it is indeed…” The figure spoke softly, their voice now completely different. It was softer, lusher, ending in a much more rusted edge then his quick witted and sharp tone.

“You would be a more wonderful Queen.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“Was…” the figure corrected.

The two of them stood in silence for a moment, both their eyes fixed forward into the sunset. The blazing rusted light burning itself onto their coronas.

“Mimi’s scarlet face is quite the sight.” The figure laughed out.

“Isn’t it?” a smile found its way back onto his face, “She’s much too easy to pick on!”

The two chattered about meaningless things until the sun finally settled below the horizon, leaving the room glowing with only the soft fading light of the fire.

Dimentio was back in his chair, legs crossed and fingers arched so that only the tips touched.

“It’s utterly excruciating waiting for the Count to finally catch up. It sickens every nerve of my being to so sweetly obey him.”

The figure was sitting across from him, leaning lazily back in their chair, their gaze fixed onto the fire. Their face was softer than his, their eyes dull and empty, reflecting back every flicker of the crackling flames.

“You’ve always had more patience than me.” The figure turned to look at him.

“Well one should believe so, you were the one to teach it to me after all.” he scoffed.

“Yes, but I was never good at executing it myself. I was always much too eager to jump into the fray.” The figure smiled warmly at him.

“Oh but that’s what made you so much fun! You always got your head in a bind and needed me to get you out. There was never a dull moment with you!”

The figure’s face softened further, their eyes turning mournful and longing.

“You seem to be bored a lot these days…”

“It cannot be helped. I’ve fallen into bad company. Everyone’s so incompetent. Always so eager to throw themselves at the feet of others, pledging love and loyalty, ugh, it makes me gag.”

“…Loyalty is not such a bad thing… after all you once… we… it must be lonely…” their voice faded out.

There was a pair of hands at the figure’s throat. Dimentio stood above them, fingers clasped around their thin neck like shackles. His face harden, the impish playful smile stuck on his lips like plaster.

“The “icky” stuff always gets in the way.”

He looked down at the figure, unable to tell their features apart from his own in the dimming light of the dying embers. The empty eyes that gazed up at him glowed with a golden hue from the flames. Their skin was a stark contrast of pale against dark from the shadows competing with the light of the fire. The only difference that told Dimentio that it wasn’t his own reflection staring back again was the soft downward edge of the eyes and the gentle curve of the lips as they gave him a reassuring smile.

“I’ll always be here for you… so long as you want me…” the figure gently slid their slender fingers over his wrist but made no attempt to remove his hands from their throat.

“It’s always been more fun with me around, so I won’t ever leave, right?” Their eyes grew a rusty orange from the dying flames, their smile seeming solemn on their soften face.

He slowly leaned forward, and pressed his forehead against theirs. They were cold and light to the touch. The two of them stood there for a moment, letting the flames die down until they were soft orange pebbles in a pit of ash.

“It is late, you should head to bed.” The figure said softly.

They gently place a hand against Dimentio’s cheek.

“Yes, you’re right. Tomorrow awaits! Many more cogs need to be put into place.” He spoke up cheerfully, letting his hands fall away from the figure’s throat and straightened himself up.

He spun around on his heel and marched off toward the bed. The figure remained in the chair, their hands folded in their laps, their legs crossed in a comfortable manor. They watched as he stripped off the unnecessary layers of his clothes and climb into the deep plum colored sheets.

The figure thought back and remember that purple had been, still is, their favorite color. It was touching to see that it rubbed off on him and that he so eagerly applied it to his character and surroundings.

“Good night…” the figure called out.

“There’s no need, I’ll be seeing you in my dreams. There is still so much left to plan.” his voice sounded distant, almost cold.

“Ah, yes. Well then… sweet dreams my little-”

There was a snap and the figure vanished in a ripple.

Dimentio’s gaze was fixed up at the canopy of his bed, his face bare and unreadable. He contemplated something for a moment before shutting his eyes and letting unconsciousness flood over him.


End file.
